The Toff and the Great Illusion, John Creasey — 1st US Edition

£60.00

The Toff and the Great Illusion, John Creasey — 1st US Edition

Name: The Toff and the Great Illusion, John Creasey — 1st US Edition
Brand: Broadhursts Books
SKU: 4667
Price: 60.00 GBP
Availability: InStock

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Publication: New York, Walker and Company, 1967

Formatting: 8vo, pp. 190.

Condition Report: Near Fine. The book itself remains in excellent, highly presentable condition. The dark blue cloth boards are exceptionally clean with sharp corners, completely devoid of typical shelf-wear, while the contrasting light blue stamping to the spine remains bright and unoxidised. The binding is remarkably tight and square, suggesting the book has been scarcely read. Internally, the pages are crisp and unmarked, with the only notable imperfection being a touch of light, uniform age-toning to the page block edges. The original dust jacket is vibrant and fully intact, suffering only from mild handling wear; there is some light rubbing and minor soiling to the white rear panel, alongside faint edge-wear and shallow creasing along the top edge and spine head.

Catalogue Note: This is the First US Edition of John Creasey's mystery, originally published in the UK in 1944 and subsequently brought to the American market by Walker and Company in 1967 as part of their 'A Walker Mystery' series. The eye-catching, mid-century modernist dust jacket design, featuring a green parrot juxtaposed with a silenced pistol bearing the Toff's signature top hat and monocle motif, perfectly encapsulates the era's espionage and detective aesthetic.

The front pastedown features a charming, vintage bookseller’s ticket from "Pickwick Bookshops, Topanga Plaza Branch, Canoga Park," adding a pleasing layer of mid-century Californian provenance to the volume.

True first American printings of this title in their original dust jackets are notably scarce on the open market today, with the overwhelming majority of surviving and circulating copies being later mass-market paperback reprints. This represents an uncommonly crisp survivor.

In The Toff and the Great Illusion, the suave and resourceful amateur sleuth Richard Rollison—better known to the criminal underworld and Scotland Yard alike as 'The Toff'—finds himself plunged into a confounding labyrinth of deception and murder. As the bodies pile up and the motives blur, Rollison must navigate a treacherous web of illusions where nothing and no one is quite what they seem. Brimming with Creasey’s signature blend of high-stakes tension, rapid-fire pacing, and aristocratic charm, this classic mystery tests the Toff's wits against an adversary who turns reality itself into a lethal weapon.

Book Condition: Near Fine

Book Authors: John Creasey

Book Publisher: Walker and Company

Book Language: English

Narrative Type: Fiction

Genre: Crime & Mystery

Book edition: First Edition

Signed: No

Book Pages: 190

Book Publication Year: 1967

Book Publication Date:

Book Binding: Hardcover

Illustrator: N/A

Book Series: The Toff

Country/region of manufacture: New York, United States

Book Dimensions:

Book Condition Guide

We stock thousands of books in a wide range of conditions. To make things clear and to help you know exactly what to expect, Please refer to these condition categories to understand the condition of the book you will receive.

Condition	Description
New	A brand-new, unread and professionally handled book. Carefully preserved from publication to purchase, these books are offered in the best attainable condition. This grade applies to recently published titles that have not entered long-term storage.
As New	The book is in pristine, original condition as if just published. No signs of use or handling. The dust jacket (if present) is equally flawless. This grade applies to any book that has remained untouched in storage for years.
Fine	The book is close to As New. It remains bright and attractive, but could show minor imperfections to the boards and/or dust jacket (if present). Its pages are typically clean and unmarked.
Near Fine	The book has a number of small flaws, i.e. slight rubbing to the edges, or tiny chips or creases to the dust jacket (if present). Its pages may have faint marks, or creases that are barely perceptible — nothing that detracts from their overall condition.
Very Good	The book maintains its structural integrity, and has no major flaws such as tears to its binding or pages. It may, however, show signs of careful use, handling, or storage — small marks and creases, light foxing. Its dust jacket (if present) remains fully intact, but small tears may be present.
Good	A book that remains intact and readable with complete text pages, but shows moderate signs of wear and use to both the book and dust jacket (if present). It may have noticeable creases, nicks, or stains, and the spine likely shows fading, bumping, and rubbing. There could be writing, underlining, and other marks on some pages, though the majority will be clean and tidy.
Fair	A book with significant wear or damage. The text pages will be complete, but there may be heavy underlining, highlighting and staining throughout, and the book’s endpapers, half-title, and copyright pages could be damaged or missing. The binding could be loose, and the dust jacket (if present) may have notable scuffs or tears. These copies are usually of interest for content, signature(s) or scarcity.
Poor	A heavily worn book whose value lies in its complete and legible text. A poor book will have substantial defects — loose joints or hinges, detached covers, loose and/or missing pages, and could be heavily soiled. A poor book is also known as a reading copy, and although compromised, can hold historical or bibliographic significance.